विद्यातपोव्रतधरान् मुखत: स्म विप्रान् ब्रह्मात्मतत्त्वमवितुं प्रथमं त्वमस्राक् । तद्ब्राह्मणान् परम सर्वविपत्सु पासि पाल: पशूनिव विभो प्रगृहीतदण्ड: ॥ १४ ॥
vidya-tapo-vrata-dharan mukhatah sma vipran brahmatma-tattvam avitum prathamam tvam asrak tad brahmanan parama sarva-vipatsu pasi palah pasun iva vibho pragrhita-dandah
- vidya
- learning
- tapah
- austerities
- vrata
- vows
- dharan
- the followers
- mukhatah
- from the mouth
- sma
- was
- vipran
- the brahmanas
- brahma
- Lord Brahma
- atma-tattvam
- self-realization
- avitum
- to disseminate
- prathamam
- first
- tvam
- you
- asrak
- created
- tat
- therefore
- brahmanan
- the brahmanas
- parama
- O great one
- sarva
- all
- vipatsu
- in dangers
- pasi
- you protect
- palah
- like the protector
- pasun
- the animals
- iva
- like
- vibho
- O great one
- pragrhita
- taking in hand
- dandah
- a stick
My dear great and powerful Lord Siva, you were created first from the mouth of Lord Brahma in order to protect the brahmanas in pursuing education, austerities, vows and self-realization. As protector of the brahmanas, you always protect the regulative principles they follow, just as a cowherd boy keeps a stick in his hand to give protection to the cows.